The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to an electrical connector for making contact to a strip conductor carrying a number of individual conductors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many uses have been found in the prior art for flexible flat conductor cables which carry a multiplicity of individual conductors aligned in parallel. Such cables often furnish the connections to a printed circuit board or the like. Various means have been designed for connecting such flexible conductor cables to particular electrical circuits. Among these are connectors which require that substantial force be exerted on the flat conductor cable when it is inserted into the connector. Since such forces tend to generate electrical faults, it is desirable that such insertion forces be reduced or eliminated.
All such connectors have as a design criteria that each of the conductors in the cable be positively conductively connected by the connector both initially and throughout the operation of the circuits. Various prior art connectors have operated to provide effective conductive connection to such circuits in particular environmental situations. However, many connectors of the prior art cannot maintain positive connection to all conductors of a flexible strip cable in extreme environmental conditions, and consequently, intermittant operation or failure of the circuits may occur.
Circuits utilizing flexible strip cables are often subject to substantial environmental changes which cause mechanical forces to be applied that tend to distort the connectors. For example, changes in temperature, altitude, humidity, and the like may all affect the structure of a connector and the forces applied thereto and tend to distort and disturb the electrical connections made by such connector.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved zero insertion force connector for mass connection of the conductors in a multiple strip conductor cable to printed circuit boards of the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector for flexible multiple conductor cables which will maintain a firm electrical connection to each of the conductors of a cable in the face of substantial environmental variations.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a connector for multiple conductor cables which exhibits little tendency to distort in the face of environmental changes and shocks.